Binding equipment and supplies pricing and costs include the binding machine as well as accessories. There are several types of binding equipment and pricing varies among them. Plastic comb or coil binding is easy to use and relatively inexpensive. Wire binding is more durable and gives a professional finish. Thermal, glue or tape binding produces the finished look of a bound book.

Within each category, prices can vary by type of machine. Desktop units are lowest in price and geared toward infrequent use. Prices increase based on the volume of pages the machine can punch or bind at once, the durability of the machine and added features like whether the machine is electric or manual. To choose bindery supplies and equipment:

1. Compare prices among wire and plastic bindery equipment;

2. Check out the features and costs of thermal, glue and tape binding;

3. Locate a supplier of accessories and supplies and compare their prices to other providers.

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Get plastic and wire bindery equipment costs

Plastic and wire binders punch holes in documents, then use a plastic comb or coil or a wire coil to hold the pages in place. These machines are relative inexpensive and allow bound documents greater flexibility when they're opened.

I recommend: Plastic comb binders are available from office supply companies like Factory Express. They range from less than $100 for machines that bind 10 sheets or fewer at a time, to more than $300 for machines that punch up to 20 sheets at a time. Wire binding machines from Office Zone and other suppliers are around the same price as plastic comb binders. Small volume electric wire binding machines cost around $500, while high volume electric wire binders range from $2,500 to $5,000. Combination machines that perform either wire or plastic binding are available from General Graphic for around the same price as a standard plastic or wire binding machine.

Check prices for glue, tape and thermal binding equipment

Glue, tape and thermal binding machines use glue or tape to bind documents and books. This type of binding doesn't require hole or coils, and gives a professional finish. Machines that perform this type of binding are significantly more expensive, but it's a good choice for large documents and the binding is easier to repair.

I recommend: Find thermal binding machines from companies like My Binding in the range of $200 to $800. Prices are lower for desktop units; professional machines are the most expensive. ABC Office and Lynde-Ordway offer glue binding machines. Prices start at around $6,000.

Price bindery supplies

Supplies for binding machines include the plastic or wire combs that are used for holding pages in place. Other necessary supplies are covers used for documents. Machines often come with some supplies.

I recommend: Get wire loops for around $10 from Professional Binding Products. Quantity discounts are available. CDW carries plastic combs for less than $15, higher priced specialty combs with locks for more than $50, and covers in the range of $6 to $20.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Compare prices of bindery equipment and supplies among several vendors before making a purchase. Some may offer additional price advantages like quantity discounts and free shipping.

Binding equipment is typically easy to use and a useful investment for anyone who needs to put together professional documentation or publications. With a process as simple as hole punching, you'll be able to put together an attractive document that's manageable and easy to read.

Binding equipment varies by type of binding material, ranging from plastic combs to spiral wire to book tape. The price of binding equipment varies, as well as the price of the bindery supplies you use with the equipment, but the result for all of them is a functional professional document.

When shopping for bindery equipment and supplies, consider:

1. Comparing the features of different types of binding equipment.
2. Looking for hole punching options like plastic comb and spiral wire binding.
3. Looking for book binding options like tape and glue.
4. Browsing some multipurpose binding equipment if you need more than one type of binding machine.
5. Shopping for binding supplies to use with your new equipment.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Compare features on different types of bindery equipment

Binding equipment is available in different types, and each type includes different features, such as number and size of holes punched, durability of binding material and size of document.

I recommend: Compare the specifications of different types of binding equipment before you shop for any one type of binding machine.

Browse binding equipment that punches holes to bind

Hole punching equipment is the most typical kind of binding equipment, and includes plastic combs, wires and spiral binding. This type of binding equipment will punch the holes in your paper and bind the document.

I recommend: Plastic comb binding is common and easy to use, and can use plastic combs to hold together large numbers of pages. Coil binding is a type of binding with spiral plastic coils holding the pages of your document together. Coil binding gives a professional look and may be more durable than plastic combs. Wire binding is another good option for binding equipment, which is even more durable than the plastic materials.

Look for binding equipment with no holes required

Some binding equipment doesn't require hole punching at all, but instead utilizes book binding glue and tape to bind your documents the same way published books are bound.

I recommend: Check out both tape binding and glue binding, also called thermal binding. Tape binding equipment can be pricier than hole punching bindery equipment, but taping is the best option for collecting and binding large documents, and taped binding can be easily repaired if it wears down over time.

Check out multipurpose bindery equipment for more options

Get your money's worth out of binding equipment by looking for multipurpose options or machines with interchangeable punches that will enable you to use differing kinds of binding.

I recommend: Multipurpose or combination binding equipment is an economical option if you want to use several different types of binding but don't want to purchase multiple machines. Combination binding equipment usually features a standard hole punch as well as one or two different punches for coil or comb binding.

Find the bindery supplies you'll need to complete the project

New machines typically come with limited supplies, but make sure you have a good source for ordering refills and backup supplies, or for a wider range of bindery supplies.

I recommend: Bindery supplies are typically available from any company that manufactures binding equipment. Binding equipment and supplies can sometimes be bundled, or you can pick out variety packs with different color combs, coils and tape or heavy duty materials.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Before you buy your own bindery equipment, try renting equipment or using binding equipment at a company such as Kinko's, where you can familiarize yourself with expensive equipment before you buy and better know which machine will suit your needs.

Binding equipment and supplies are essential to the finishing of the business document, the magazine and the printed book. Whether it's a simple office document binding machine or industrial level binding machinery, education on what to buy and how to use it is essential to the office or factory success.

Employer and employee alike need to know which binding equipment performs what task well enough to share that information with others and complete jobs in a timely manner. When it comes to binding equipment and supplies education and training:

1. Realize that numerous types of document binding equipment exists for different types of end goals

2. Understand equipment for binding is essential in the presentation or document finishing process

3. Know that training on bindery supplies can lead to a career

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Learn which bindery equipment works best for your office

Determining which bindery equipment is necessary for a particular task or office is an education in itself. With thousands of options on the market, you have to consider budget, ability, space and usability before making a purchase.

I recommend: Binding-machine-store.com provides a detailed bindery equipment guide to help business owners and office supply managers educate themselves on which equipment would be best utilized in their office or organization. MyBinding.com offers simple but informative explanations on the different types of binding equipment and supplies.

Utilize manuals and tutorials to improve use of bindery equipment

Most document binding machines come with manuals or instructions at the time of purchase. People often lose these or find them too complex to follow. Sometimes a little extra explanation in simple language can help employees and employers alike fully understand the capabilities of their office equipment.

I recommend: Office Zone hosts a large selection of bindery equipment manuals for free download. Bindery Tech offers a number of tutorials and articles on using and troubleshooting bindery equipment.

Take things a step further with professional bindery training

For those working in the book and document binding industry, numerous educational programs and certifications exist to improve skills and increase your salary bracket. From a line bindery worker to the work of the industrial machinist, bindery degrees exist and are essential to correctly using industrial binding equipment.

I recommend: Study prep materials, then take a test to be certified as a Finishing Stitcher Operator by The National Council for Skill Standards in Graphic Communications. EarnMyDegree.com offers a detailed explanation of the training and skills required to be a bindery worker as well as the bindery equipment that the professional binder needs to know how to use. Hennepin Technical College offers bindery and printing classes, including a 16-week certification course. YouTube provides a video on the bindery workers job description.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  For those just setting up an office, its a good idea to consult with colleagues in similar businesses as to what binding equipment and supplies you will need to get started. This will narrow research time.

You can use binding equipment to bind what were formerly loose pages into a book. Printing firms often provide binding services, but you can buy inexpensive binding machines to do some binding yourself.

You can be more confident in your binding purchase if you to take the time to learn the names for the different types of binding, the supplies you'll need to buy, and other terms related to binding. Each type of binding has advantages and disadvantages, both in cost and in the durability of the bound product.

Action Steps
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Adhesive binding

Adhesive binding is a type of binding that uses a glue or an adhesive substance. Perfect binding is a well known form of adhesive binding. Padding is another binding form. Padding produces a temporary bind that allows you to rip off pages.

I recommend: Check out a glossary of binding terms, including adhesive binding at Sircle Corp.

Thermal binding

Thermal binding uses heat to activate adhesive on pre-glued spines, producing a professional-looking binding.

I recommend: Thermal binding is explained at the Heavenly Office website.

Combination binding machines

If you want to have the ability to use more than one type of binding, but don't want to buy two machines, you might consider a combination binding machine. This type of machine is generally one that combines two types of binding that use binding elements and punch holes in the paper, such as comb and wire binding.

I recommend: See examples of combination binding machines at Office Zone.

Pitch

Many bindings that use binding elements also punch holes in the paper at regular intervals to accommodate the binding elements. The pitch of the individual binding is the spacing between the holes, or the number of holes in an inch.

I recommend: View a glossary of binding terms at Advanced Document Systems & Supply. It contains the definition of pitch and also gives pitch examples for common bindings.

Margin depth

The margin depth is the distance from the edge of the paper to the inside edge of the binding. The part of the paper covered by the binding will not be easily visible, so you need to account for the margin depth when designing the layout of your pages.

I recommend: Find a binding term glossary, including the definition for margin depth, at American Binding Company.